In the face of the man's icy gaze, Adeline paid no attention.
She nodded lightly and said, "Alright."
With that, she stood up and made her way upstairs.
As she reached the staircase, she paused and said, "Early this morning, Miss Collins came to the house and smashed some photographs, leaving Miss Lauren in a sour mood all day. If Mr. Foster cannot handle the situation with Miss Collins, then it's better not to easily agree to Miss Lauren's requests to avoid having both women unhappy again."
Jasper watched her back as she spoke, his voice colder than the surrounding air, "Are you teaching me how to run my house?"
"Just a suggestion," Adeline replied calmly, devoid of any emotion. "After all, soothing Miss Lauren's dissatisfaction will also increase my workload."
With that said, she ascended the stairs, leaving Jasper with a cold and indifferent figure.
Sitting on the sofa, Jasper frowned deeply as he watched her disappear.
...
The next morning, Molly received a phone call from Ryan before she even got out of bed.
"Miss Collins, I'm downstairs. Mr. Foster instructed me to come and pick you up. He has something to discuss with you."
"Jasper wants to see me!?" Molly exclaimed excitedly, jumping out of bed.
After all these years, it was the first time Jasper had sought her out so early in the morning.
"Just wait a moment. Let me do my makeup, and then I'll come downstairs!"
An hour later, a meticulously groomed Molly, dressed in a long dress, gracefully opened the car door.
In the back seat, Jasper, dressed in all black, sat with his eyes closed, as if resting.
As she sat in the car, surprise and excitement trembled in her voice, "Jasper, I never expected that you would personally...!"
The man interrupted her in a calm tone, "Ryan, let's go to the restaurant."
Jasper lowered his head and spoke calmly while having breakfast, "In two weeks, I plan to take you to my grandmother's birthday banquet. After all, we've been living as an engaged couple for six years. It's time to give you a new identity."
Molly's eyes lit up. Indeed, Jasper must have something good to announce by seeking her out so early in the morning!
She felt a sense of joy in her heart, but maintained a shy expression on her face. "I don't mind..."
"But I do," Jasper coldly interrupted her, raising his head to look at her.
He gave her a glance, "I will announce on Grandma's birthday banquet day that we are canceling our engagement."
Molly's fork and knife fell abruptly on the table.
She looked at Jasper in shock, "Jasper, what do you mean?"
Jasper elegantly ate his breakfast as he continued, "I promised to maintain our engagement before for a reason. It was to fulfill Adeline's wish and because she's gone, we have no relevant connection anymore. You need another identity for me to protect you. We agreed that this ridiculous engagement could be terminated at any time if we both found someone we genuinely liked."
Molly bit her lip tightly, "But Jasper, neither of us has found someone we genuinely like."
"But Lauren has returned," Jasper said, setting down his cutlery. His eyes gazed blankly at Molly's face. "Lauren's presence proves that Adeline, who supposedly died six years ago, is still alive. Since my wife is alive, I should not maintain this kind of relationship with you."
"Besides," the man lowered his head to sip his soup, "You and Lauren don't get along that well. Yesterday, the house staff said you made Lauren unhappy the whole day. So this agreement ends here."
He placed the empty bowl aside and added, "During Grandma's birthday, I will first announce Lauren's identity and then announce the cancellation of our engagement."
Finishing his words, he stood up, took long strides, and left.
Molly sat still, her hands clenched into fists.
Watching Jasper's car leave mercilessly, Molly finally broke down emotionally and swept all the utensils on the table to the floor!
She thought Jasper came to her early in the morning with good news!
Instead, he suddenly wants to cancel their engagement for that little bitch, Lauren!
Anger welled up in the woman's eyes.
Curse that girl!
If she didn't come back, Jasper wouldn't treat her like this!
She had only just returned three days ago and Jasper no longer wanted her!
Unless she gets rid of that Lauren, she won't have a chance with Jasper!
Adeline didn't have the guts to show up herself, so she sent this little girl to die, and Molly will make it happen!
...
Noon.
Molly carried a lunchbox and entered the Foster Group. As she entered Jasper's office, he had just finished the morning meeting.
The man frowned, "What are you here for?"
Molly smiled and placed the lunchbox down, "Delivering food to you, brother-in-law."
This "brother-in-law" made Jasper freeze.
He furrowed his eyebrows, "Why are you calling me that?"
"Since my sister is still alive and you want to cancel our engagement, I will continue to call you brother-in-law, just like before," Molly said, grinning, as she handed the food to Jasper. "After you said what you did this morning, I thought a lot."
"Now, I know I haven't been doing well. Even if we break off the engagement, you will still be my brother-in-law, and Lauren will still be my niece, right?"
Jasper nodded.
"It's just a pity that Lauren doesn't like me," the woman said and let out a sigh as she attentively handed Jasper a pair of cutlery.
"I want to take Lauren out tomorrow afternoon, to improve our relationship. After all, we will be family in the future, and I want to make sure Lauren doesn't dislike me so much."
Molly spoke with sincerity, and Jasper hesitated for a moment before nodding. From Molly's attitude, it was clear that she truly regretted her actions. She and Lauren, as Adeline's sister and daughter, should not have had conflicts in the first place.
"Thank you!" Molly's eyes had a fleeting glimpse of cunning. "I'll go prepare now!"
During dinner, Jasper shared this decision with Lauren.
"I don't want to go out and play with her!" Lauren rolled her eyes, full of resistance. "She's so mean!"
Jasper let out a sigh. "Lauren, she is, after all, your aunt." If Adeline were here, she probably wouldn't want to see Lauren and Molly at odds. But in a man's good intentions, Adeline would see a different meaning.
Though Molly repeatedly hurt Lauren, Jasper still persistently urged her to build a bond with Molly.
Lauren didn't know how important she was to this man, but she knew that in his heart, Molly was likely the most important person. A wave of desolation washed over her.
"Adeline?" Suddenly, a deep male voice brought her back to her thoughts.
The man casually glanced at her. "You will accompany Lauren tomorrow. I will also assign a few people to follow you."
Adeline sighed and asked, "Must we go?"
"This is not a servant's concern. You just need to take care of Lauren."
"Alright."
After dinner, Lauren returned to her room and tossed and turned on the bed. "I don't want to build a bond with that woman!"
"I can only give so much love, and after giving it to Mummy, I can't give it to anyone else!"
Adeline was amused by her behavior and comforted her while sending a message to Bennett. It had been another day without seeing him, and she missed that child a little.
"Mummy, don't go to Molly's appointment tomorrow."
Bennett looked at the synchronized content of Molly's phone on the tablet, where there was a clear title that said "Kill the little bitch." Although there were no specific plans, that title sent chills down Bennett's spine the more he read it.
"Mummy, don't go, did you hear me?"